Antiglare device for headlights



June 11 1940. I c M'QNTAGUE 2,204,429

- ANTIGLARE DEVICE FOR HEADLIGHTS File'd Feb. 10, 1939 Patented June 11,

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIQEv ANTIGLQARE DEVICE Foa HEADLIGHTS Carroll Hr Montague, Richmondpva ApplicationFebruary 10, 1939, Serial-No. 255,770-

6 Claims. (01. 240-484) My invention consists innew and useful improvements in 'an antiglare shield for vehicle headlights and has" for its object to provide a device of this character which is simple and economical in construction and which maybe conveniently installed in any conventional head light without the necessity of altering the structure of'the headlight.

Another object is to provide a shield which vertically divides the headlight into two light projecting zones, one of which directs. intensified light rays immediately'ahead of the vehicle in its path of movement, while preventing said intensi fled raysfrom reaching the eyes of an approach- 1' ing driver or pedestrian on the opposite side of the road. The other of said zones emits a glow of, screened light rays of low intensity which are entirely unobjectionable to the eyes of said approachingdriver or pedestrian.

i0 A further object of my invention is to construct a vertical shield which is disposed substantially in line with the longitudinal center of the headlight bulb and extends forwardly therefrom a sufficient distance to intercept the intensified $5 rays from the bulb and one side of the parabolic reflector, while permitting indirect light rays to filter through into the opposite side of said reflector.

A further object of my invention lies in the '0 arrangement of the shield to permit a circulation of airv over the bulb whereby overheating is prevented.

.With theabove and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds, a my invention. consists in the novelfeatures hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Referring to the-drawing, in which numerals 40 of like characterdesign'ate similar parts throughout the several views, j p Fig. 1' isa vertical sectional view through a headlightequippedwith my improved shield.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional -view' of the Sama- Fig. 3 is a section taken online-3'3 of Fig. 1, s

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the shield. In the drawing I represents a conventional 60 automobile headlight of the type embodying a parabolic reflector 2 and having a centrally disposed main road lamp 3 in socket 4 and an auxiliary lamp S in socket 6. The front of the headlight casing is closed by the usualconvex lens l 1 ried y retaini g i 0,

. My improved antiglare device comprises a metal shield 9, the front and rearv edges of which are curved to conform substantially ,to the curvature ofthe usual lens '1 and reflector 2, re-

'spectively. This shield is adapted to be posi- 5 tioned vertically in substantially the center of .the headlight with its front and rear edges spaced a slight distance from the lens I and reflector 2, the central portion of the rear edge being cut out as at III to accommodate the main T0 road lamp 3 and the upper'portion of said rear edge beingcut out at II to accommodate the auxiliary lamp 5. Thus the shield 9 divides the headlight into two zones, 'A being theinten sified light zone and B the screened light zone.

Any convenient means such' as straps I2, engageable by the rim 8, may be employed for re'- taining the shield 9 in place.

One side of the main lamp 3 is enclosed by a spaced-hood l3 which extends from the rear edge'of the shield at the rear extremity of. the

main lamp ilto substantially the forward extremity of the shield. The hood is preferably narrow at its rear end adjacent the'neck of the lamp and flares outwardly to a point just beyond the outer end of the lamp, its forward end being closed by'an end wall M which gradually tapersin to the front edge of the shield 9.

.- The flaring side wall of the hood [3 is provided with a series of vertical cut-out portions '30 or slots I5 having forwardly and inwardly directed tongues l6. These slots permit screened rays to filterthrough'the hood into zone B of the refiector,' the tongues il6 being arranged at such an angle as to prevent any direct rays 5 .from thelamp reaching the eyes of a motorist approaching from the opposite direction.

'Likewise, the shield 9 is provided with a series of vertically disposed slots. l1 having tongues l8 s which project forwardly and to the same side 40 as the tongues It, whereby intensified and refiected rays from the'reflector 2 are screened but permitted to filter throu h the shield into zoneB of the headlight while the tongues-prevent any direct rays from reaching'the-eyes of an ap- 4'5 proaching motorist.

The shield 9' is; preferably formed of stainless steel although other suitable material maybe employedand the device may be shaped. and slottedby a stamping operation. The hood [3 is constructed of. the same material and is preferably welded in place on the proper side of the shield. I

In this connection it is to be noted that the position of thehood l3 and the angle of the tongues l6 and H? are dependent on which side of the headlight is to be shielded. In this country, where motorists drive on the right hand side of the road, the arrangement would be as shown in the drawing, that is, with the hood covering the left side of the main lamp 3 and the tongues I5 and I8 directed to the opposite side of the shield.

On the other hand, in those countries where the regulations require driving on the left side of the road, the shield and hood will be reversed.

In either case it is preferable that the surface of the shield 9 adjacent zone A, on the side opposite the hood l3, be highly polished or provided with a suitable reflecting surface ,to increase the intensity of the forwardly directed rays from that zone of the headlight. The other side of the shield and the outer surface of the hood adjacent zone B are provided with a dull finish so as to further insure against the projection of any intensified rays from that zone.

It will thus be seen that with this arrangement I provide two lighting zones, one of which is exposed to the lamp bulb 3 and adapted to project direct and reflected light rays forwardly into the path of the vehicle, the other zone emitting a glow of screened light rays which filter through from the lamp and the intensified zone. The hood l3 andv the forwardly extending shield 9, together with the tongues I B and i8 definitely prevent the rays from the intensified zone A from reaching the eyes of a motorist approaching on the opposite side of the road, but due to the slots l5 and I1 sufficient indirect or screened rays enter the zone B on the side of the approaching motorist to effect a soft glow.

It will be further noted that the edges of the shield 9, being spaced from the adjacent surfaces of the lens and reflector, and the hood spaced from the lamp and slotted, permit a circulation of air over the lamp bulb and thus prevent its overheating.

While I have shown and described this invention as applied to an automobile headlight it is to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself in this respect, as the invention may be employed with equal effect in connection with other types of headlights. For example, a locomotive headlight may be equipped with a device generally similar to the one just described with slight modifications for this adaptation.

From the foregoing it is believed that my invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details of structure without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An antiglare device for headlights comprising a vertically disposed disc-like shield, the rear edge of said shield being cut out to accommodate the main bulb of .a'headlight, a hood having an imperforate front wall covering said cut-out portion on one side of said shield, screening openings in the sidewall of said hood, screening openings in said shield, means adjacent said openings for intercepting direct light rays from one side of the shield, and means for supporting said shield in a headlight casing so as to divide the latter axially into two light zones.

2. In a headlight including a bulb, a parabolic reflector, and a lens, an antiglare device dividing the headlight transversely of its axis, into an intensified light zone and a screened light zone comprising a vertically disposed shield interposed between the reflector and the lens, the rear edge of said shield being cut out to accommodate the bulb of said headlight, a hood having animperforate front wall covering said cut-out portion on one side of said shield and enclosing the corresponding side of the bulb, the opposite side of said bulb being exposed to the intensified light zone, and means for allowing the passage of screened light rays through said shield and through the side Wall of said hood, into said screened light zone.

3. In a headlight comprising a bulb, a parabolic reflector, and a lens, a vertically and axially disposed antiglare shield dividing the area between the reflector and lens into an intensified light zone and a screened light zone, the rear edge of said shield being cut out to accommodate the headlight bulb, its forward edge extending beyond the outer'edge of said reflector a sufficient distance to intercept light rays from the intensified light zone, a hood having an imp-erforate front Wall, covering said cut-out portion on the opposite-side of said shield, and means for allowing the passage of screened light rays through said shield and through the side Wall of said hood, into said screened light zone.

l. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said last named means comprises a series of slots, the edges of which are provided with light deflecting tongues.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the side of said shield adjacent the intensified light zone is provided with a highly refiecting surface, and the opposite side of said shield is provided with a dull surface.

6. In a headlight including a bulb, a parabolic reflector, and an outwardly rounded lens, an antiglare shield comprising a disc mounted vertically and axially between said lens and-refiector and dividing the headlight 'into' an intensified light zone and a screened light zone, the forward and rear edges of said disc conforming substantially to the curvature of the lens and reflector, respectively, the rear edge of said disc being cut out to accommodate the headlight bulb, its forward'edge extending beyond the outer edge of said reflector a sufficient distance to intercept light rays from the intensified light zone, a hood having an imperforate front wall, covering said cut-out portion on the opposite side of said disc, and means for allowing the passage of screened light rays through said disc and through the side wall of said hood, into said screened light zone.

CARROLL H. MONTAGUE. 

